Hot Springs mother working to raise fire safety awareness after death of 5

Jun 21, 2023

by: Tylisa Hampton

Posted: Aug 23, 2023 / 07:08 PM CDT

Updated: Aug 23, 2023 / 07:41 PM CDT

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – After a Hot Springs mother lost her 5-year-old son in a house fire in February, she’s now making it her mission to try to save the lives of other children, one closet at a time.

Whitney Calvin said Morgen’s Closet started with her family members’ help after the death of her son, Morgen Moore.

“I miss his laughter. He was such a generous loving little boy,” Calvin said. “His joy and love was everything and that’s why we started Morgen’s Closet.”

Calvin said on Feb. 3, their lives forever changed after Moore came home from school.

“When I took out the trash I just saw flames coming from his bedroom,” Calvin said.

She said that she tried to run inside the home.

“We were unsuccessful in doing so and his last words to me that I could hear from his room were ‘Mommy,’” Calvin said.

Calvin said the fire started by the gas heaters in their home. She said she hopes that teaching fire safety will help a family not go through what she did.

“I don’t want anybody to have to not just bury but cremate their child,” Calvin said.

She said after months of Moore’s death, she and her family came back to his elementary school, Gardner ABC to ask if they could set up the Morgen’s Closet which Calvin said the school was more than happy to do.

“A lot of kids are unaware now of safety, the fire safety matters within their home, not just at school,” Calvin said.

Calvin said there are smoke detectors inside the closet among other fire safety tools for students and parents. She hopes this starts more conversation among families about fire safety.

She says she wants students to “ask their parents what’s a good exit in case a fire breaks out, what do I do.”

Also in the closet are many school supplies for students.

“As a single mother, I know it’s hard a lot of the time to get what the kids need,” Calvin said.

Morgen’s elementary teacher, Darona Dunkin, said the closet helps many students.

“I know it will benefit so many children because so many children unfortunately don’t have the things that they could get out of this closet,” Dunkin said.

Dunkin said the closet is a constant reminder of Morgen and how much he meant to everyone.

“He was always a light to everyone that met him; he was such a joy,” Dunkin said.

Calvin said she’s hoping to expand Morgen’s Closet in the future.

“I want to put a closet in each one of the academies to be able to help all of the children,” Calvin said.

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